A Generator and A Bag of Charcoal

   The last three months have been challenging.  I once had a friend tell me, “Living in Mozambique is hard enough without the add stress of not being able to do what you came to do.”  These last three months, I have found the statement to be so true as we wait on documents that will allow us to once again take to the sky and help people through aviation.  As time stretches on, our hearts get heavier and heavier.  As we hang on and try to trust that our Heaven Father knows best, we start growing weary.  Another dear friend commented that it must feel like we are making laps inside the “fiery furnace of the old testament”.  I keep wondering how long until we will be called out of the fiery furnace and the storm will stop.  How much longer?

    Another challenge we have been facing is that our electric has got to the point that it was becoming obvious that we needed a generator.   Especially since I am now homeschooling and having electricity is critical to getting schoolwork done.  We had looked for cheaper options in South Africa, but nothing was working out.  So Conrad and a coworker went shopping in town and found a generator exactly like we were looking for at an ok price for Nampula.  We talked and prayed overnight and the next day Conrad went back to get the generator.  We were so excited to learn that we had been given the wrong price the day before and it was $300 less than what we had been told.  We were so thankful to God for the discount and planned to take the rest out of our savings, although to be honest I struggled with taking that amount out.  I came to the conclusion that the money is God’s anyway.  So if He provided for this need through our savings, then I must trust Him.

   A couple days ago, I was really struggling with “Why God can't you answer now and fix this problem with the documents?”, when I read Mark 4 in my devotions. Mark talks about how the storm was raging on the sea and the disciples in the boat were scare and tired but Jesus is calm and sleeping.  He does calm the storm at just the right minute, but the disciples did have to go through the storm for a while.  He comments on their little faith.  It got me wondering, as our faith grows, do our storms also grow?  Do I need to see this storm and fiery furnace and a blessing because my faith is strong enough to handle it?  Can’t say I liked the idea but I was reminded that God promises that He will never give us more than we can handle.  So maybe I need to be thanking God because He is growing my faith. 

    But, I still want a right now sign that I wasn’t in this alone.  Suddenly the bag of charcoal, I needed to buy for the MAF BBQ the next day, came into my mind.  Here in the city, you will see bikes riding around with large bags of “charcoal” that they have made out in the country.  They bring them into the city to sell.  If you can find someone with the charcoal still on the bike, you can usually get a better deal as well as they will even deliver it to your house if you want.  The trick is finding someone on a bike.  So I stopped and prayed, “Lord, I’m struggling right now and would love to see your hand of care in a very visible way.  You know that I’m going to pick up some kids around 2:30 for a kid’s group at my house this afternoon.  Could you please put a bike with charcoal in my path?  Because I have 16 kids coming to my house this afternoon and I have to finish homes schooling, I don’t have time to drive around and see if I could find a bike.  I know you could do this, please Lord.” 

  That afternoon, I exited my gate and looked up and down the street, no bike.  But as I turned the corner, there was a bike with charcoal.  I was so excited that I got my Portuguese all messed up and ended up asking the vender if he wanted to buy the bag of charcoal and not if I could buy the bag. To which he promptly replied “No, I am wanting to sell it.”   After getting it all sorted out, I bought the bag, put it in the back of the car, and continued on my way Praising God for His faithfulness.  But God wasn’t done.  Two days later, I was received word that an unexpected gift of money was coming that was more than enough to cover the generator.  Instantly, I knew that God was once again showing me His love in a very visible way. 

   So even though the fiery furnace with documents continue and we are still making laps, I know that I'm not in the fire alone.  Yes, the storm is still raging but I am confident that my Lord and Master,  Jesus, is in this boat with me.  And at the right moment, He will calm the storm and remove the furnace.  So I pray for strength, endurance, and wisdom.  And I know in my heart I can keep going because He showed me His love for me this week in a very visible way through a generator and a bag of charcoal.